The Minister signed, Thursday, March 8th 2012 in Rabat, a loan agreement from the French Development Agency (AFD), with Mr. Alain JUPPE, French Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, and Mr. Joel DALIGAUTD, Director of (AFD) in Morocco, at a ceremony attended by Mr. Abdelilah BENKIRANE, Head of Government.
This agreement is about EUR 50.3 million (including a grant of 300,000 euros) to finance the Green Morocco Plan devoted to agricultural development in disadvantaged regions of the northern part of the kingdom.
This funding should contribute to the implementation, in Tangier-Tetouan Taza-Al Hoceima-Taounate and Fez-Boulemane regions, of the support program "pillar II" (PAPMV) of the Green Morocco Plan, as explained by AFD.
It aims to improve the income of family farms in disadvantaged areas through the financing of productive projects (production, processing) and support for producer organizations of which they are promoters.
These projects include the construction and equipping of dairy units, planting orchards (olive, almond, plum, and apple) and the construction of upgraders of their fruit, the acquisition of improved hives and the construction of honey production units, the installation of aromatic plants and the equipment of distillation units.
In addition, pilot actions will be implemented in the three concerned areas to improve the marketing of key agricultural sectors? products, the development of local products, the improvement of credit access and testing of environmentally friendly agricultural practices.
A technical assistance, financed by loan and grant, will support the implementation of the program and contribute to the training of project promoters, agents and managers of agricultural services on participatory approach issues, the marketing of agricultural products, management, etc.
The implementation of PAPMV, by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and Maritime Agency for Agricultural Development (ADA), scheduled for 2012.
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